2022 Spring Double Betting Tips – Dave Stevos
2022 Spring Double
Every year plenty of punters have a go at landing the Spring Double. The two races that make up the double are the Lincoln Handicap at Doncaster and then the Grand National at Aintree. The declarations were made for the Lincoln this afternoon and there was another forfeit stage for the National earlier this week. Dave Stevos has a couple of horses at big odds in mind for a tasty e/w touch. Check out his 2022 Spring Double fancies below.
2022 Spring Double: The Lincoln
You could quite easily make a case for a dozen of this year’s Lincoln runners. It is always a fiercely contested heat and looking at the profile of recent winners, it tends to be unexposed younger horses that are worth following. The top two in the betting, Mujtaba and Modern News are both obvious candidates but the bookies haven’t missed them. However, older horses have run very well in this race in the past and last year’s 3rd, Hortzadar, is back for another go off a 7lbs lower mark.
David O’Meara’s 7yo son of Sepoy was beat just 2L in the Lincoln in 2021. It was the first start of his campaign and arguably his best run of the year. He could only manage a couple of seconds in the remainder of the season but every cloud has a silver lining and he has now been dropped to a mark of just 90. His last three wins came off 94, 91 and 91 so he is definitely competitively weighted.
O’Meara is sticking to the same blueprint as last season. Hortzadar hasn’t had a prep run but that is not much of a worry. His form figures on his seasonal comebacks for O’Meara read 201 so clearly, he is a horse that can go well fresh. There is always a danger that a less exposed sort will prove to be a cut above the lot of these. However, my guess is that this horse has been laid out for this contest and at 40/1, hopefully he can run into a place at the very least.
Grand National
A fortnight after the Lincoln, the biggest jumps race in the world goes ahead at Aintree. With a massive field of 40 it is never easy finding the winner but we’ll give it our best shot. My ante-post Grand National selection, Domaine De L’isle, flopped in the Eider and it looks like he is on a knife edge as far as getting a run is concerned. He needs another six to come out, hopefully he sneaks in off a feather weight.
The one I’ll advise as part of the 2022 Spring Double is Dingo Dollar. This son of Golden Lariat has been trained for this race. Last year he went agonisingly close behind Mighty Thunder in the Scottish National at Ayr (32f gd). It was a superb effort off a mark of 145 and he meets the winner off the same terms here. However, Mighty Thunder has been pulled up the last twice whereas Dingo Dollar’s prep runs went much more smoothly.
Solid Form
Sandy Thomson’s charge was entitled to need his comeback at Kelso (26f gd). Next time at Newcastle (23.5f gd/sft) he ran a grand race in 3rd in the Rehearsal, 9L behind Aye Right and Good Boy Bobby. The latter horse was in off 141 that day (Dingo was off 149) and he was hiked up to 150 after his Wetherby win. So, Thomson’s inmate is now 10lbs better off with that rival.
The key to this horse is the ground. If it comes up soft or worse, he’ll most likely struggle. However, if there is any good in the description, his chance will be enhanced massively. It was good ground at Ayr last season so hopefully, the weather gods play ball.
His prominent racing style will help keep him out of trouble and he should be able to get the trip on this flatter track. He pulled up his only previous try over these fences but the ground was soft. I think we’ll see a much bolder performance if he gets his ground and at odds of 50/1, Dingo Dollar is worth backing each way.
